One Of World’s Largest Shipping Companies Criticised For Dumping Toxic Ships On South Asian Beaches

The Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), one of the largest container shipping companies in the world, is being pressured by environmental groups to change its ship recycling practices.

The company has been accused of selling old, obsolete ships for dangerous and environmentally harmful dismantling on tidal beaches in South Asia, particularly in India.

Over the past 15 years, MSC has sent more than 100 ships to South Asia for scrapping, despite international laws prohibiting the export of hazardous waste to non-OECD countries.

In the last two years alone, MSC has sold 27 ships for demolition on the beaches of Alang, India, including the MSC Floriana and MSC Giovanna. These ships were originally docked in Spanish and Turkish waters and were sent to Alang in direct violation of European and international laws.

The practice of shipbreaking on tidal beaches is known for its severe environmental and human rights violations.

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform, an advocacy group focused on improving ship recycling practices, has long condemned the environmental damage caused by this method.

Ships are dismantled in unsafe conditions, with workers exposed to hazardous materials like asbestos and toxic chemicals, all while earning extremely low wages and lacking proper safety protections.

Alang, a major hub for shipbreaking, is home to over 130 yards where ships are stripped for parts. While these yards offer a low-cost alternative for shipowners, they have consistently been criticised for not meeting international safety and environmental standards.

Despite some efforts to improve, none of the yards in South Asia have been certified under the EU Ship Recycling Regulation (SRR), which is a requirement for ships to be safely dismantled.

MSC’s decision to send ships to these unsafe yards is to gain profit.

While recycling ships in EU-approved facilities would ensure safer practices, it would cost MSC more. Scrapping a ship on South Asian beaches can bring in up to three times more revenue than recycling it in an EU-certified yard.

This has led critics to accuse MSC of valuing profits over the safety of workers and the environment.

Despite this, MSC continues to promote its green credentials. The company has won awards such as the “Greenest Ship Owner of the Year” at the 2018 Green Shipping Summit.

However, these claims are called into question by environmental groups, who point out that MSC continues to send ships to South Asia for scrapping, undermining its sustainability efforts.

MSC has claimed that it follows the Hong Kong Convention (HKC), a set of international rules for ship recycling, to ensure that ships are dismantled safely.

However, critics say that the HKC is insufficient, as it does not ban shipbreaking on tidal beaches and does not enforce strict environmental or labour protections.

Additionally, MSC does not provide transparency regarding the audits it conducts on the yards it uses, and independent reviews have found that many of the yards MSC works within South Asia do not meet basic safety standards.

Earlier this year, MSC launched the Waste Shipment Intelligence Service in collaboration with the UK Environmental Agency to help combat the illegal shipment of hazardous waste.

While this initiative is seen as a positive step, critics find it hypocritical that MSC continues to dump its own toxic ships in South Asia, a practice that violates international waste laws.

In response to these issues, the NGO Shipbreaking Platform has urged MSC to reform its ship recycling policy.

The group is calling on the company to stop sending ships to South Asia for scrapping and instead use facilities that meet EU standards for safety and environmental protection.

The group also says MSC should adopt a more transparent and ethical approach to recycling its fleet. The company’s failure to address these concerns has sparked criticism, as it continues to expand its fleet.

With a turnover of $86 billion in 2022, MSC has the financial capacity to invest in sustainable and safe recycling practices. Yet, it continues to prioritise profit over responsibility, leaving workers, and the environment at risk.

Other shipping companies are already taking steps to improve their ship recycling practices. For example, MSC’s competitor CMA-CGM committed in 2022 to no longer transport plastic waste on its vessels and is exploring ways to boost sustainable ship recycling in Europe.

Reference: NGO Shipbreaking Platform

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